Thursday, November 5, 2009

Another Vegas Police Shooting

A former Libertarian congressional candidate on Tuesday denied police accounts that he pulled a gun while running from a Las Vegas police officer who shot him last week.

Raymond James Duensing Jr. said he was the author of a Web posting that acknowledged he had a gun and a knife in his pockets when he ran from Officer David Gilbert after he was stopped in a rental car for a traffic violation. He also wrote that he always carries a gun and at least one knife, and that his gun was licensed and registered.

"I NEVER pulled either of these items out of my pockets," he wrote.

Of course the police give a different description.

Police said Duensing had been sought on a warrant on a misdemeanor traffic violation and that he became "extremely agitated and noncompliant" with Gilbert, a 16-year department veteran.

Duensing said he was standing outside the vehicle with his hands raised, "calmly speaking to the cop attempting to talk my way out of being taken to jail over an unpaid high-occupancy vehicle ticket" when Gilbert shocked him with a Taser stun gun.

Duensing said that prompted him to run, fearing the electrical charge would aggravate heart problems he said he has had since birth.

Is it possible for someone to flee AFTER being shocked with a taser?

What's an "unpaid high-occupancy vehicle ticket?" Is that having too many people in the car?

What about the fact that "he always carries a gun and at least one knife, and that his gun was licensed and registered?" What kind of a person does that? Do you think the kind of paranoia that causes a person to always carry a gun and "at least one knife," could be consistent with the police description of "extremely agitated and non compliant?" Certainly you don't think that's the proper behavior for a law abiding gun owner, do you?

"What about the fact that 'he always carries a gun and at least one knife, and that his gun was licensed and registered?' What kind of a person does that? Do you think the kind of paranoia that causes a person to always carry a gun and 'at least one knife,' could be consistent with the police description of 'extremely agitated and non compliant?' Certainly you don't think that's the proper behavior for a law abiding gun owner, do you?"

I have carried at least one knife on me every day since I was 12 years old. At night my knife is on the dresser with my keys, wallet, money clip and flashlight. It all goes in my pockets every day. As for a gun, unless I am going to a criminal protection zone like a school or courthouse, I nearly always have a gun on me. As far as that making me non-compliant, that is silly. I have to comply with laws while carrying a gun. How can you get more compliant than jumping through all of the hoops to legally carry the most regulated product in the history of government?

I've had a smoke alarm for 20 plus years, and never had to use it (going off because you are a bad cook doesn't count). What is the point mikeb? If we don't use something we shouldn't have it?Health insurance?Car insurance?Car muffler?Spare tire?Flame retardant pajamas?Wedding dress?Skinny jeans?Betamax machine?

Yes Mike, I have. On three occasions I have had to physically defend myself from multiple attackers, twice with pepper spray and once with a knife. Thankfully, I've not had any similar experiences in almost 15 years.

I believe in being prepared to defend myself and carrying items that enhance my ability to do so specifically because of my experiences and the experiences of those close to me.

That's a ticket someone receives for driving in the HOV (High-Occupancy Vehicle) lane on a freeway while alone in their vehicle - such lanes are set aside for vehicles with two or more occupants (based on giving car-pools a faster commute). Apparently, Duensing had gotten such a ticket and had failed to pay it.

Don't get out much, do you, Mike?

Cops usually don't taser...people who are "calmly getting out of a car."

This is both ignorant and stupid - recent history is, cops Taser-zap people - frequently - the way cops used to whack people with billy clubs or slapjacks, or spray them with pepperspray; namely, because:

a) the person ran from them initially or (as here) is giving them some kind of verbal disagreement, which annoys the cop;

b) the person is either challenging the cop's exertion of authority, or the cop chooses to see their behavior that way;

c) the cop is having a bad day (for whatever reason[s]), and would really like to shoot the person, but doesn't think they can justify it as a "good shooting", and doesn't want to do the paperwork involved anyway.

Cops loooove them some Taser...doesn't always work as well as they might like, 'cause it's usually non-fatal, but it sure is fun, watchin' people jump around from 20-30,000 volts and hearin' 'em screech about it...

Those Vegas cops probably got major grinners out of finding he was carrying a gun (and a knife! Bonus!), so they could whack him with "pulling a gun" as well as "resisting and evading."

Certainly you don't think that's the proper behavior for a law abiding gun owner, do you?

It is when a Vegas lawdog pops you with the juice, with no warning, when all you're trying to do is avoid getting jailed for not having paid a silly-assed HOV ticket.

And no, always carrying a gun - and a knife - is not "paranoia" - it's precautionary. I (legally) carry a gun most of the time - and I've carried a knife ever since I was old enough to be trusted (by my parents) with one, since about age 9 or 10 - and "paranoia" has nothing to do with it.

That "extremely agitated and non-compliant" scurf is bulls**t, anyway - it's just after-the-fact cop-justification for doing what the cop wanted to do.